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The Ministry of Home Affairs in India, prompted by escalating tensions and recent security concerns, orchestrated a comprehensive nationwide mock drill exercise across 244 districts. This large-scale operation, codenamed ‘Operation Abhyas,’ aimed to assess and enhance the country's preparedness for potential threats and emergencies. The drill, which was conducted on Wednesday following a directive issued on May 5, encompassed a range of simulated hostile scenarios, including air raids, urban fire emergencies, search and rescue operations, casualty evacuation, and the establishment of temporary hospitals. It also involved the evacuation of civilians to designated demilitarized zones or bunkers. The selection of the 244 districts was based on threat perception, with a focus on major metropolitan areas such as Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Chandigarh, all designated as civil defense districts. West Bengal had the highest number of such districts, with 32, followed by Rajasthan with 28, and Assam, Punjab, and Jammu and Kashmir, each with 20. The mock drills gained particular significance in the aftermath of the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, which resulted in the tragic loss of 26 lives, predominantly tourists. This incident underscored the urgent need for enhanced security measures and emergency preparedness. The simulated scenarios were designed to test the responsiveness and coordination of various agencies, including civil defense, police, fire and medical authorities, and district administrations. The exercises involved the activation of sirens, implementation of blackout procedures, and the mobilization of emergency response teams. In Delhi-NCR, the drills were conducted across all 11 districts of the capital, covering 660 schools and 40 markets. The exercises, which took place over a three-hour period between 4 pm and 7 pm, aimed to assess the effectiveness of air-raid warning systems and the preparedness of schools and markets in the event of an emergency. District magistrates, responsible for leading the drills, were tasked with procuring sirens capable of transmitting sound over a 4-5 km radius, with plans to install 500 sirens across the city to augment the existing air-raid warning systems. The Delhi Police heightened security around tourist areas and marketplaces, particularly in Central Delhi and Delhi Cantonment areas, and planned to establish a LARD (Long Range Acoustic Device) system at its headquarters near Parliament Street. In Gurgaon, control rooms were set up at the Mini Secretariat, and a staging area for relief and rescue operations was created at Tau Devi Lal Stadium. A blackout was also observed later in the evening. Faridabad conducted the drill at district headquarters, sub-divisional offices, police departments, and hospitals, involving employees from various government and private agencies. In Ghaziabad, the exercise was held at ten schools and colleges at 10 am.
Maharashtra implemented a categorized approach to civil defense programs, dividing districts into three categories based on the required level of implementation. Category I, including Mumbai, Palghar, and Raigad, required full implementation, while Category II (Thane, Nashik, Pune) and Category III (Ratnagiri, Sindhuburg, Aurangabad, Bhusawal) required partial implementation in varying degrees. In Mumbai, the drill was conducted in Uran, where the JNPT port is located, and Tarapur, the site of a nuclear facility. Pune district administration conducted mock drills in six areas across the city, including Council Hall, Mulshi Panchayat Samiti, Talegaon Municipal Council, Vanaz Industrial Estate, Pune Municipal Corporation, and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation. The District Collector Jitendra Dudi appealed to all agencies to function in a highly disciplined manner and urged citizens not to panic or believe in any rumors. He emphasized that the demonstrations were aimed at minimizing casualties in an emergency and that there was no need for public alarm. In Karnataka, Bengaluru, Karwar, and Raichur were the districts that fell under Category II. Prashant Kumar Thakur, who heads the Home Guards, Civil Defence and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), said the drills would be conducted at 4 pm. Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy directed all departments to remain alert at all times, emphasizing Hyderabad’s strategic importance in national defense and its role as a base for defense establishments. He personally oversaw the mock drill being conducted that evening. The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) stated that the mock drill would begin at 4 pm, with the alert siren sounding three times for 30 seconds. It would be conducted between 4.02 pm and 4.29 pm in areas where the siren was heard and even in areas where it was not heard. In Tamil Nadu, the exercise was conducted at the Madras Atomic Power Station in Kalpakkam and the Chennai Port Trust campuses at 4 pm. The Tamil Nadu government stated that activities would be undertaken in these two vital installations to handle an incoming air raid, simulating conditions to check the preparedness of the systems to handle any kind of emergency.
West Bengal conducted mock drills at 31 locations in 23 districts. The state government informed that it had 62 satellite phones, 95 sirens in Kolkata, and 25-30 sirens in other districts. Security agencies participated in the drills with no participation of civilians. The Chandigarh administration conducted a mock drill at two locations in the city and a rehearsal for blackout from 7.30 pm to 7.40 pm. The public was requested to switch off their lights during the blackout and, if outside, to park their vehicles to the side and switch off their vehicle lights. In Punjab, the mock drills were held at the civil defense towns of Amritsar, Bathinda, Ferozepur, Gurdaspur, Batala, Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Adampur, Ludhiana, Halwara, Patiala, Pathankot, Barnala, Mohali, Faridkot, Kotkapura, Rupnagar, Bhakra Nangal, Sangrur, and Abohar. During the blackout rehearsals, power was switched off for a stipulated time, and the use of generators or even lighting matches was prohibited. The large-scale exercise adhered to specific rules and regulations. Upon receiving an air raid warning through appropriate signals by sounding sirens, the public was requested to seek immediate shelter, draw their curtains, stay indoors, turn off electrical and gas supplies, and await further instructions. All vehicular traffic in a notified area was required to halt, and passengers were expected to take shelter and other precautionary measures. Restrictions on electricity usage were also an important feature of the mock drill exercises. The government document ‘General Principles of Civil Defence in India’ emphasized that lighting restrictions aimed to ensure no light was visible at a height of 5,000 ft. above ground level. During the hours of darkness, all stationary motor vehicles were required to have their side and rear lights on, and no vehicle was allowed on the road unless it complied with the detailed provisions. Above all, individuals were urged to remain calm and follow instructions from the respective district magistrates, avoiding panic and supporting loved ones in successfully participating in the mock drills. The exercises were designed to bolster national security and improve emergency response capabilities.